A conveyor

Abstract: The invention relates to a conveyor provided with a frame and with at least one moving means (2) which can be moved in its longitudinal direction by driving means. Carriers (8) extending transversely to the direction of movement of the moving means are coupled to the moving means (2). At least a few of the carriers support sliding pieces (11), which can be moved along the respective carriers by guide means, so as to move objects to be conveyed by the conveyor during operation. A carrier (8) is coupled to a moving means (2) near its centre, which moving means is built up of links (3,4), which are pivotable with respect to each other about pivot pins crossing or intersecting each other at least substantially perpendicularly.

Description: The invention relates to a conveyor provided with a frame and with at least one moving means which can be moved in its longitudinal direction by driving means, to which carriers extending transversely to the direction of movement of the moving means are coupled as described in the pre-characterising part of claim 1. Devices of this kind are for example known from US-A-3,361,247 and FR-A-2,388,737. The carriers of these known devices are secured at their ends to two endless moving means extending parallel to each other, whereby the active carriers constitute the upper part of an endless chain and the non-active carriers constitute a return part of an endless chain, which is located under said upper part. Consequently only some of the carriers can be used effectively for conveying the objects, whilst the other non-active carriers move back under the active carriers towards the starting point of the conveyor. According to the invention the conveyor is characterised as described in the characterising part of the claim 1. By using the construction according to the invention an effective conveyor is obtained, whereby all the carriers can be moved along the entire path of movement of the moving means with their active surface turned upwards, whilst it is also possible to move the carriers from a higher level to a lower level and vice versa, so that the number of applications of the device according to the invention has been considerably increased in comparison with the device according to the aforesaid patents. It is thereby possible to discharge objects from the conveyor in more places than with the aforesaid known conveyor while using the same number of carriers and the same length of the moving means. It is noted that a conveyor comprising a moving means built up of links, which are pivotable about horizontal and vertical pivot pins with respect to each other, is known per se, for example from FR-A-2304413 and Dutch Patent Application No. 8900974, but said Dutch Patent Application No. 8900974 relates to a type of conveyor different from the present invention. The invention will be explained in more detail hereafter with reference to an embodiment of the construction according to the invention diagrammatically illustrated in the accompanying Figures. Figure 1 is a diagrammatic, perspective view of a part of a conveyor according to the invention. Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view of a carrier and a sliding piece, which can be moved along said carrier. Figure 3 is a diagrammatic plan view of a switch station, in which means are disposed for moving the sliding piece with respect to the carrier. Figures 4 - 7 show further embodiments of switch stations. Figure 8 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a part of a further conveyor according to the invention. As is shown in Figure 1 the conveyor comprises a frame 1, in which a moving means 2 in the shape of a conveyor chain is guided. The conveyor chain is provided with links 3 and 4 respectively, which are pivotable about horizontal and vertical pivot pins with respect to each other. Guide wheels 5, which are rotatable about horizontal and vertical axes, are connected to the conveyor chain 2 at a point near the pivot pins, said guide wheels co-operating with guide rails 6 accommodated within the frame 1 of the conveyor. The construction of such an endless moving means or conveyor chain is for example described in Dutch Patent Application No. 8900974. Carriers 8 are secured to at least a number of the links 3 and/or 4 by means of upwardly extending supports 7. In the illustrated embodiment the carriers have a substantially T-shaped configuration, when seen in plan view, whereby they are made up of a beam 9 extending transversely to the longitudinal direction of the conveyor chain 2 and a platform 10 joining the centre of the beam. A sliding piece 11 is movable along the carrier 8, transversely to the longitudinal direction of the conveyor chain 2 (arrow A). The sliding piece 11 comprises a coupling piece 12, by means of which the sliding piece is movably coupled to the beam 9, and furthermore a frame-like part 13, which bounds a receptacle 14 which is open at its upper side and its bottom side. As will be apparent from Figure 1, the size of the frame 13 bounding the receptacle 14 is adapted to the size of the platform 10, so that the receptacle 14 is closed by the platform 10 at its bottom side when the sliding piece 11 is positioned near the centre of the beam 8. As is diagrammatically indicated in Figures 2 and 3, two guide wheels 15 are secured to the bottom side of the coupling piece 12 positioned under the beam 9, said guide wheels being freely rotatable about axes of rotation extending perpendicularly to the beam 9. Two switch pieces 16 and 17 are disposed near a switch station, which is diagrammatically indicated in Figure 3, said switch pieces each being adjustable, by setting means not shown, between the position illustrated in full lines in Figure 3 and the position illustrated in dotted lines in Figure 3. Guide rails 18 and 19 respectively, which extend obliquely to the direction of movement of the chain, are disposed downstream of said switch pieces, seen in the intended direction of movement of the conveyor chain 2 according to arrow B. It will be apparent that when a carrier with a sliding piece connected thereto passes the switch station shown in Figure 3 whilst the two switch pieces 16 and 17 are in the position illustrated in dotted lines in Figure 3, the guide wheels 15 can pass the switch station without impediment and the sliding piece 11 will thus not be moved relative to the carrier 8. When the switch piece 16 has for example been moved to the position illustrated in full lines, however, the left-hand (seen in Figures 2 and 3) guide wheel 15 will come into contact with the left-hand (seen in Figure 3) guide face of the switch piece 16 and start to move along said guide face and along the rail 18, which will cause the sliding piece 11 to move towards the left with respect to the carrier 8. In a similar manner the sliding piece 11 will move towards the right along the carrier 8 when instead of the switch piece 16 the switch piece 17 is moved to the position shown in full lines in Figure 3. During operation of the above-described conveyor objects to be moved may be supplied in a certain supply station, along which the carriers and the sliding pieces connected thereto are passed, whilst the sliding pieces are positioned in such a manner, that the frame-like parts 13 are located above the platforms 10. The supply of objects may for example take place via a chute or the like. One or more objects may thereby be placed in each receptacle 14 as desired. The objects supplied may be delivered at a desired station by moving the sliding piece in the above-described manner with respect to the respective carrier, whereby the receptacle 14 will come to lie beside the platform 10, and an object present within the receptacle 14 can fall through the open bottom side of the receptacle, where said object may be caught by means of a chute or the like (not shown). Then the shifted sliding pieces may be returned to their central position by guide means (not shown) which are known per se, before being passed along the supply station again so as to receive objects to be moved. Of course variations and/or additions to the construction which is described above and which is illustrated in the Figures are conceivable. When it is for example only necessary to discharge objects on one side of the conveyor, it will be possible to use L-shaped carriers instead of the T-shaped carriers that are shown in Figure 1. Furthermore it is possible, of course, to adapt the shape of the receptacle to the shape of the objects to be moved, if desired. Also with regard to the switch station variations to the above-described construction illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 are conceivable. Thus Figure 4 shows a view of the switch station which corresponds with Figure 3. As is diagrammatically indicated in said Figure 4, each of the switch pieces 16 and 17 may be pivoted from a position, in which a respective switch tongue co-operates with a guide wheel 15 in the above-described manner, to a position in which the switch tongue in question is located near the path of movement of the guide wheel in question, for example about a pivot pin 20 extending parallel to the direction of movement of the carriers with the guide wheels 15, or for example about a pivot pin 20' extending parallel to the rail 18 or 19, or for example about a pivot pin 21 extending perpendicularly to the direction of movement of the carriers. Instead of the horizontal sliding movement explained with reference to Figure 3 or the pivoting movement explained with reference to Figure 4, it is also possible for the switch pieces 16 and 17 to be shifted vertically in order to move the switch pieces 16 and 17 into or out of the path of the guide wheels 15. Figure 5 shows a plan view corresponding with Figures 3 and 4 of a switch station, whereby switch pieces 23, which are pivotable about vertical pivot pins 22, are provided near the upstream ends of the rail 18 and 19. The switch pieces 23 are adjustable thereby, for example by means of setting cylinders 24 coupled to the switch pieces. It will be apparent from Figure 5 that each switch piece 23 can be pivoted from a position in which a guide wheel 15 co-operating with the switch tongue in question can freely pass the switch station to a position in which a guide wheel 15 co-operating with the switch piece in question will be intercepted by the switch piece in order to be guided in the direction of the rail 18 or 19, so as to move the sliding piece 11 along the carrier 8 in the above-described manner. Figures 6 and 7 show views corresponding with the above-described Figures 2 and 3 of a further embodiment. As appears in particular from Figure 6, in this embodiment the two guide wheels 15 have been replaced by a single guide wheel 25, which is designed such that the wheel 25 projects beyond the nearby support 7 on both sides, seen in the direction of movement of the endless moving means with the carriers 8 coupled thereto. As is shown in Figure 7 two switch pieces 27 and 28, which are capable of pivoting movement about vertical pivot pins 26, may be provided for guiding the guide wheel in a switch station, whereby said switch pieces can be pivoted by means of setting cylinders 29. From Figure 7 it will be apparent that when the switch piece 27 is pivoted into the path of the guide wheel 25, said guide wheel will be guided in the direction of the rail 19, whereas the guide wheel will be guided towards the rail 18 when the switch piece 28 is pivoted into the path of the guide wheel 25. It will furthermore be apparent, that also with the embodiment according to Figures 6 and 7 it will be possible to use switch pieces which may be moved into and out of the path of the guide wheel 25 in a different manner. Furthermore it stands to reason that the invention is not limited to the use of carriers comprising sliding pieces provided with receptacles as shown in Figure 2. As is for example shown in Figure 8, it is also possible for a number of at least substantially identical elongated beam-like carriers 20 to be coupled to the endless moving means 2, onto which the objects to be moved may be placed directly and whereby the objects in question may be moved off the beams 30 at desired stations by means of sliding pieces 31, which are movable along along the carriers 30, within the spirit of the embodiments as for example described and illustrated in the aforesaid US Patent No. 3,361,247 or the aforesaid French Patent No. 2,388,737. In order to make it possible to pass through curves having a comparitively small radius, the distance between successive carriers 30 may for example be larger than shown in the diagrammatic Figure, and/or the carriers 30 may be narrower at one end or both ends than in the centre.

Claims: A conveyor provided with a frame (1) and with at least one moving means (2) which can be moved in its longitudinal direction by driving means, to which carriers (8) extending transversely to the direction of movement of the moving means (2) are coupled, whilst at least a few of said carriers (8) support sliding pieces (11), which can be moved along the respective carriers by guide means comprising guide wheels (15, 25) connected to said sliding pieces (11), guide rails (18, 19) and switch pieces (16, 17; 23; 27, 28) arranged in a switch station, by means of which a guide wheel (15, 25) may be guided in the direction of guide rails (18, 19) extending transversely to the direction of movement of the moving means (2), so as to displace objects to be conveyed by the conveyor during operation in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the moving means, characterised in that each of said carriers (8) is coupled near its centre to a single moving means (2) built up of links (3, 4), which are pivotable with respect to each other about pivot pins crossing or intersecting each other at least substantially perpendicularly and a carrier (8) is connected to a link (3, 4) by means of a connecting piece (7), whilst a guide wheel (15, 25), when seen in a direction along a carrier (8) and perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the moving means (2), is disposed besides said connecting piece (7). A conveyor according to claim 1, characterised in that a carrier (8) is wider near its centre (10) than near at least one end, seen in the longitudinal direction of said moving means (2). A conveyor according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that a switch piece (16, 17; 23; 27, 28) can be pivoted into and out of the path of movement of a guide wheel (15, 25). A conveyor according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that a switch piece (16, 17) can slide into and out of the path of movement of a guide wheel (15). A conveyor according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that two guide wheel (15) arranged side by side on either side of the connecting piece (7), seen in the direction of movement of the moving means, are coupled to each sliding piece (11). A conveyor according claim 5, characterised in that for each guide wheel (15) there has been provided a switch piece (16, 17; 23) whereby each switch piece (16, 17; 23) can be actuated independently of the other switch piece (16, 17; 23). A conveyor according to any one of the preceding claims 1-4, characterised in that a guide wheel (25) is coupled to a sliding piece, said guide wheel (25) projecting beyond the connecting piece (7) on both sides, seen in the direction of movement of the moving means (2).

Inventors: VAN DEN GOOR JAKOBUS MARIE, VAN DEN GOOR, JAKOBUS MARIE
Applicants: VANDERLANDE IND NEDERLAND, VANDERLANDE INDUSTRIES NEDERLAND B.V.
Application year: 1994
Main classification: B65G17
IPC codes: B65G17, B65G47